Inciting Lunatics to Violence
"Inciting Lunatics to Violence" was the 38th Special Comment delivered on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, airing on 14 October 2008. The Comment And number one: The John McCain phony umbrage threat level is back to red. McCain supporters shout hateful, violent threats and incitements at McCain events. If you missed it, it happened before a Palin's speech in Pennsylvania today, and as usual, she said nothing to stop the fire. And this is where the satire ends and the Special Comment begins - because this is not even remotely funny: 1:25 p.m. Eastern today in Scranton, Pennsylvania, during a warm-up act by a red meat congressional candidate aptly named Chris Hackett. Hackett mentions Obama and a Palin audience member shouts, "Kill him." And Governor Palin, as usual, does nothing about it, says nothing to those thugs and psychos. She may not have heard this one but it is impossible to believe that by now she has not heard about the other ones. Her silence is deafening. Just that, Senator McCain, you have done nothing when violence has been asserted. Correction, you have done one thing, asked why in real-time you do not repudiate this hatefulness, you act is if you are its victim - speaking today to our NBC station in Washington. :''MCCAIN: Sure. And I repudiated it, as I have on several occasions. And, unfortunately, Congressman John Lewis is an American hero who I admire. He made the most worst and utmost unacceptable statement a couple of days ago that I've ever heard. He accused me and Sarah Palin of being involved with segregation, George Wallace, and even made reference to a church bombing where children were killed. Senator Obama has not repudiated that statement. Senator Obama should do so immediately. It's the most outrageous thing that I've heard since I've been in politics which is a long time. It's disgraceful. Disgraceful? Obviously, senator, you haven't heard your own speeches or Governor Palin's and what people shout during them. And you haven't heard your state GOP chair in Virginia, Jeffrey Frederick, giving talking points to 30 of your field operatives heading out to canvas voters in the town of Gainesville with a reporter present, telling them to try to forge a connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden, to emphasize bombings and terrorism. And you haven't heard those volunteers. Your volunteers, Senator McCain, shout back and, "He won't salute the flag, and we don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Senator McCain, these people are speaking for you. And how dare you try to claim Congressman Lewis was linking you to Governor George Wallace's segregation. He was, in fact, linking you aptly, sir, to Governor George Wallace's lynch mob mentality "as public figures with the power to influence and persuade," said Congressman Lewis. "Senator McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire and if they are not careful that fire will consume us all." Senator McCain, your supporters at your events are calling Obama a "terrorist" and "traitor" and are calling for him to be killed, and yet you keep bringing back these same rabid right-wing nuts to deliberately stir these crowds into frenzies, and then, you take offense when somebody who remembers the violence of our political past calls you on it. You, sir, are responsible for the pure acts of individuals who are shouting fire in a crowded theater. There are some things to respect and honor about you, Senator McCain, but on this, you are not only a fraud, sir, but you are tacitly inciting lunatics to violence. If you want to, again, grandstand and suspend your campaign, here is your big chance, sir. Suspend your campaign now until you or somebody else gets some control over it. And it ceases to be a clear and present danger to the peace of this nation. See Also Category:2008 Special Comments